Southern California -- this just in

Rescue underway for stranded hiker and dog

Los Angeles firefighters were preparing to pull a stranded hiker and his dog to safety Thursday afternoon in a steep wildland area of Lake View Terrace.

The hiker slipped and fell about 100 feet off a trail, said Los Angeles Fire Department spokesman Brian Humphrey.

Initially firefighters had planned to lift him out using a helicopter, but then switched tactics and decided to do a rope rescue, either lowering or raising the man and dog to safety, Humphrey said.

About 20 firefighters from the LAFD's urban search and rescue squad were on the scene.

The man and dog were not believed to be injured.

[Updated at 1:45 p.m. Dec. 29: The dog and hiker were both rescued after 90 minutes, Humphrey said. The dog was uninjured and paramedics were assessing the hiker, who was able to walk on his own once he reached the trail.]